Devils team discussion (news, notes and speculation) - part VI

[TheUnseenHand]

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Lol. Giving up that caffeine addiction (tea) was one of the best life choices I've ever made.

 

[NjDevsRR]

Lol. Giving up that caffeine addiction (tea) was one of the best life choices I've ever made.

I actually drink a ton of decaf coffee as well. I simply love the coffee bean.

If there coffee flavor ice cream, thats what im getting.

 

[Saugus]

Lol. Giving up that caffeine addiction (tea) was one of the best life choices I've ever made.

I never understood coffee drinkers, and never needed caffeine "just to function" like some claim. Then I had my first child.

Now it's two cups a day, minimum.

 

[Call Me Al]

2 cups in the morning and 1 in the afternoon here. helps with kids now but also helped in college when i was a huge stoner working on multiple degrees

 

[MadDevil]

A couple of weeks ago I was open to the idea of a 3 goalie rotation and giving Blackwood 2 or 3 games. But now we're down to only 11 games left, 9 after this weekend and just 8 after Monday night. After that it's 8 games in like 17 nights or something? It's pretty obvious that he won't play or dress for the next 3, but he may be able to by the Rangers game next Thursday night.

Give him conditioning starts in the AHL. He should merely be third string insurance at this point.

3 of our last 4 are against Columbus, Buffalo, and Washington, so I could see maybe giving him one of those games just to knock the rust off. Assuming of course we take care of our business between now and then. If we don't and are in a dogfight for home ice advantage then I would hope Blackwood at most dresses as a backup if they want to give Vitek a night completely off.

 

[PizzaAndPucks]

Nervous about the game today and tomorrow vs the Sens. We know we are gonna make the playoffs but we need to beat these bubble teams. Jack needs to go off. Buffalo is going to be giving it all in tonight's game. The Devils need to come out hot and not fall behind like we have been doing way too much.

Looks like I was right.

 

[TF1970]

foot speed of the defensive corps is an understated issue. when Kevin bahl might be your third best skating dman, it’s a problem. Yes, I do think he gets around better than Graves, Siegenthaler and Hamilton.

 

[NjDevsRR]

foot speed of the defensive corps is an understated issue. when Kevin bahl might be your third best skating dman, it’s a problem. Yes, I do think he gets around better than Graves, Siegenthaler and Hamilton.

Well thankfully we have the two best prospects in the league in that regard. We gotta make do with what we have now.

 

[TF1970]

Well thankfully we have the two best prospects in the league in that regard. We gotta make do with what we have now.

Yeah can’t get to the big club soon enough. But realistically might be looking at a couple years until they can become legitimate contributors. Assume Nemec spends another year in Utica. And who knows where Hughes will wind up being next year whether it’s NJ or Utica.

 

[NjDevsRR]

Lots of people would be singing a different tune on here if they got the extra point in the 3v3/Shootout crapshoots against Tampa and Minny.

Also, let us not forget the crazy awful luck they got in the 1st against Tampa game 1. Literally one of their best periods of the entire season was shit on by the unseen hand. They got demoralized from that in that game.

 

[Incharge1976]

Lots of people would be singing a different tune on here if they got the extra point in the 3/3/Shootout crapshoots against Tampa and Minny.

Also, let us not forget the crazy awful luck they got in the 1st against Tampa game 1. Literally one of their best periods of the entire season was shit on by the unseen hand. They got demoralized from that in that game.

Doesn't really matter too much. I think we can beat the Rangers and Carolina in a 7 games series. Boston and Toronto, probably not. But hey, a ECF appearance with a chance at the cup if we win would be awesome.

 

[Oneiro]

I'm glad expectations are higher, it's incredible.

But some of the frustration comes from seeing the same kind of early mistakes, choked breakouts and bad passes with too much speed going the other way. And then you're chasing the game from behind 1-2 goals. These are things that cup winning teams don't do on such a regular basis. I also think the games against TB and MIN showed how high the execution level has to be against strong defensive squads, which can be sort of disheartening if you were thinking this team could possibly go pretty far. Good trends are nice but execution in the moment matters.

This is a pretty typical arc. We've seen TB and COL champions go through a few seasons of having to learn how to be harder on the puck and minimize mistakes. I was hoping we could tighten up more and bypass some of the learning curve but maybe the growth curve is just how it is, even if you're a decent defensive squad, which we are.

I think we could end up being the best offense in the league next year if Luke and Nemec are even close to what expectations are and if Holtz can step in and give you some more pop. But defensively, it'll be an adventure. A step back in the standings? Probably, yeah.

 

[ZachaFlockaFlame]

I'm glad expectations are higher, it's incredible.

But some of the frustration comes from seeing the same kind of early mistakes, choked breakouts and bad passes with too much speed going the other way. And then you're chasing the game from behind 1-2 goals. These are things that cup winning teams don't do on such a regular basis. I also think the games against TB and MIN showed how high the execution level has to be against strong defensive squads, which can be sort of disheartening if you were thinking this team could possibly go pretty far. Good trends are nice but execution in the moment matters.

This is a pretty typical arc. We've seen CHI, TB and COL champions all go through a few seasons of having to learn how to be harder on the puck and minimize mistakes. I was hoping we could tighten up more and bypass some of the learning curve but maybe the growth curve is just how it is, even if you're a decent defensive squad, which we are.

They absolutely caved in the Wild and TB 2 out of the 3 games though, their finishing was abysmal last week and it showed. They'll be fine for the playoffs, if your argument for them losing in a 7 game series to a team is that they've shown a tendency to shoot at 3-4% then you can legitimately make that argument for any team in the league.

 

[NjDevsRR]

They absolutely caved in the Wild and TB 2 out of the 3 games though, their finishing was abysmal last week and it showed. They'll be fine for the playoffs, if your argument for them losing in a 7 game series to a team is that they've shown a tendency to shoot at 3-4% then you can legitimately make that argument for any team in the league.

We’ve actually scored more goals per game in this last 15 game stretch than our average on the season. I also don’t get the finishing schtick by so many. As you said, you can cherry pick that with every team.

 

[Oneiro]

They absolutely caved in the Wild and TB 2 out of the 3 games though, their finishing was abysmal last week and it showed. They'll be fine for the playoffs, if your argument for them losing in a 7 game series to a team is that they've shown a tendency to shoot at 3-4% then you can legitimately make that argument for any team in the league.

You just cited The Tale of the Carolina Hurricanes, who have definitely not been "fine" for the playoffs despite being a great team.

Edit: We're better than Carolina at the top end and I don't expect us to go through as much futility in the post-season but I think some, myself included, have tempered expectations for the group right now.

 

[TF1970]

Yea I’m not gonna get too much into off-season stuff now, but fitz certainly has a lot of big decisions on his plate. How Bratt and Meier get handled. What happens with Holtz heading into next season. How does the D shape up given Graves/Severson are UFA, and you have Hughes/Nemec knocking at the door yet still seemingly a gap to bridge there. And will they be content with the goaltending as is with 2 of the 3 current guys

 

[ZachaFlockaFlame]

You just cited The Tale of the Carolina Hurricanes, who have definitely not been "fine" for the playoffs despite being a great team.

Fitz has gotten John Marino, Timo Meier, Vitek Vanecek, Ondrej Palat, drafted Simon Nemec within a calendar year. Carolina doesn't have the superstars we have on our roster, we're not comparable to the Carolina Hurricanes at an all.

 

[Emperoreddy]

I don't think scoring will be an issue unless someone like Igor or Sorokin just stones us.

It's the careless D-zone play and special teams that is more concerning

 

[Oneiro]

Fitz has gotten John Marino, Timo Meier, Vitek Vanecek, Ondrej Palat, drafted Simon Nemec within a calendar year. Carolina doesn't have the superstars we have on our roster, we're not comparable to the Carolina Hurricanes at an all.

Yeah, I edited my post to say that I don't expect us to tread that same path.

Really this group is very Blackhawks-like to me. And I think it's not the goal scoring as much as the defensive side of the puck (plus, maybe the goaltending) that makes me think a cup final isn't in the cards - this year.

 

[MadDevil]

Yeah, I edited my post to say that I don't expect us to tread that same path.

Really this group is very Blackhawks-like to me. And I think it's not the goal scoring as much as the defensive side of the puck (plus, maybe the goaltending) that makes me think a cup final isn't in the cards - this year.

A trip to the Cup Final will likely (unless we win the division yet) mean going through the Rangers and Canes to then face one of Boston, Tampa, or Toronto...so yeah I don't see it happening either. I think we can beat the Rangers or Canes, but to me Boston and Tampa, until proven otherwise, are on another level than anybody else in the East.

 

[ZachaFlockaFlame]

A trip to the Cup Final will likely (unless we win the division yet) mean going through the Rangers and Canes to then face one of Boston, Tampa, or Toronto...so yeah I don't see it happening either. I think we can beat the Rangers or Canes, but to me Boston and Tampa, until proven otherwise, are on another level than anybody else in the East.

Tampa Bay isn't making it past Toronto, they just look entirely off this year + no Palat or McD. I think the Leafs or Boston probably dog walk whoever come out of the Metro bracket.

 

[NHL Fanatik]

I never understood coffee drinkers, and never needed caffeine "just to function" like some claim. Then I had my first child.

Now it's two cups a day, minimum.

Interesting. Ive never once had a cup of coffee but ive had iced coffee or other assorted, caffeinated colder drinks. I just cant do hot drinks - by the time I drank a hot chocolate freshman year of HS at a football game it was practically just chocolate drink. About the last (and only) time I had a hot drink

Ive also never had kids

 

[Emperoreddy]

 

[ZachaFlockaFlame]

Lol. Giving up that caffeine addiction (tea) was one of the best life choices I've ever made.

Random but this was me with alcohol, lol. Love a good cup of tea though right before bed though.

 

[glenwo2]

Buffalo has played like crap and embarrassed themselves last couple of games . I can see them having had a team meeting before todays game and come out playing like the USA miracle on ice team … give their fans something to cheer about after missing the playoffs yet again .

Somebody give Eggtimer the award for most Nostradamus'ing post of the night.


sigh.....

Let's just clinch tonight against Ottawa.

That's all I ask.